Muggings, kidnap and terrorism in Colombia // Planning my trip

Here is a quick look at the UK governments safety warnings for travelling in Colombia. It's a tale of mugging, terrorism and kidnapping that is very unsettling (for somebody going alone in 3 days!). The fact of the matter is that much of Colombia is controlled by the ELN, a powerful communist group that is camapaigning against government forces. This has created a power vaccum in many parts of the country, giving the opportunity for the very wealthy cartels to execute their power. Here are some of the highlights from the UK Government piece...

" a temporary ceasefire between the Colombian Government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) ended on 9 January 2018"

" Mugging and pickpocketing can be accompanied by violence "

" The British Embassy has received reports of criminals in Colombia using drugs to subdue their victims. This includes the use of scopolamine, which temporarily incapacitates unsuspecting victims. Drugs can be administered through food, drinks, cigarettes, aerosols and even paper flyers. Victims become disoriented quickly and are vulnerable to robbery, sexual assault, rape and other crimes. Avoid leaving food or drinks unattended and don’t take anything from strangers. "

"Express kidnappings - short-term opportunistic abductions, aimed at extracting cash from the victim - also occur... There have been incidents where those who have resisted the kidnappers’ demands have been killed. "

" There have been several recent incidents of armed robberies on buses "

"Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Colombia. The threat comes from the National Liberation Army (ELN), dissidents from the demobilising FARC guerrilla group (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), and other illegal armed groups."